The right college can open up a whole new world for students. That’s exactly what LVC did for Trey McAuliffe ’24, M’25, who studied abroad twice and completed an international internship. 

“Being at LVC has opened me up to traveling so much,” said McAuliffe, one of LVC’s John Bowman Allwein Scholars. “Everyone on campus is very supportive of the study abroad programs. Before LVC, I had no aspirations to study abroad or even travel, but once I got here, my perspective changed entirely.”

The impact of his study abroad experiences carried into his career aspirations. McAuliffe received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting last May and will receive his Master’s of Business Administration this upcoming May through the College’s 3+1 accelerated program.

“After I studied abroad for the first time in Italy, I knew I wanted to work somewhere other than Harrisburg, Pa.,” he said. “It influenced my decision to work at a Big Four accounting firm because there are so many opportunities since they are global firms. Now, I have accepted a position at KPMG and will look for an opportunity to transfer, preferably abroad.”

Along with Italy the summer after his first year, McAuliffe studied in Maastricht, Netherlands, the following summer. The four-week Maastricht program included an LVC faculty-led “Business in the European Union” course and an Intercultural Communications course taught by a Dutch faculty member. Excursions included the European Union Parliament building, Rotterdam Port, and local businesses.

“The classes we took abroad opened my eyes to the European Union and the differences between capitalism and socialism,” said McAuliffe. “I debated in front of the class, so I gained a lot of knowledge preparing for it that I may not have learned elsewhere. Overall, these opportunities made me much more open-minded about how other people live and do business.”

LVC Business Professor Dr. Doug Gautsch, who has since retired, led McAuliffe’s study abroad cohort that included a tour of a rubber recycling company called VS Rubber, which also has a factory in Lebanon, Pa. McAuliffe asked the owner questions during their tour, which sparked further conversation and motivated Gautsch to set up a meeting that led to an internship.

During the Fall 2023 semester, McAuliffe worked closely with the VS Rubber Vice President in their Lebanon factory regarding a further expansion into the United States.

“I studied supply and demand for various geographical areas,” said McAuliffe. “I found potential suppliers and customers in those regions and potential tax havens for recycling companies. I also investigated the price of commercial real estate.

McAuliffe returned to the Netherlands in February 2024 to present his ideas and research to the company owners. He credits his LVC Accounting and Economics classes for giving him the tools needed for the project. He also is grateful to Dr. Andrew Hildebrand, Professor of Accounting, and Gautsch for meeting with him regularly to prepare for his presentation.

“My accounting professors did a great job of tying in their real-world experience with their teaching,” said McAuliffe. “It has made learning much more effective so that we can relate our experience to theirs. They are our professors but acted as mentors when giving advice.”